Comparison of postoperative clinical outcomes and knee stability of cruciate‐retaining total knee arthroplasty using the tibia‐first gap navigation technique with a computer‐aided system and measured‐resection technique: A retrospective analysis of a propensity‐matched cohort

Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed to clarify whether the range of motion (ROM), anterior and posterior (AP) stability and other clinical measures changed in patients who underwent tibia‐first total knee arthroplasty (TF‐TKA) using navigation with a computer‐aided system after surgery.

Methods

This is a retrospective study and we conducted a matched cohort analysis of 60 measured resection (MR)‐TKAs and 52 TF‐TKAs performed by a single surgeon. All the surgeries used the same implant and approach. Baseline differences between the groups were adjusted using propensity score matching. We compared each patient's measured ROM and Oxford Knee Score (OKS) and performed knee AP laxity measurements by using a device during routine follow‐ups.

Results

A total of 40 MR‐TKAs with a mean age of 73.5 ± 5.6 years and sex (male 10, female 30) were compared to 40 TF‐TKAs with a mean age of 74.0 ± 5.7 years and sex (male 13, female 27) at 2‐year follow‐ups. Two years postoperatively, there was a significant difference in the AP laxity at 30° of knee flexion between both groups (7.0 ± 3.4 mm vs. 5.2 ± 2.3 mm, p < 0.01). In contrast, no differences were found between both groups for knee flexion (120.8 ± 9° vs. 116.7 ± 9.8°, p = 0.07) and OKS score (41.8 ± 6.9 vs. 41.0 ± 5.9, p = 0.61).

Conclusion

The AP stability in the midflexion obtained using the tibia‐first technique remained consistent even after 2 years. However, OKS and ROM were not significantly different from those of the MR‐TKA group.

Level of Evidence

Retrospective comparative LEVEL III study.